The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By 2 Comments

Song of the Day: Stella By Starlight

The song of the day for Sunday, March 7, 2021, is “Stella By Starlight.”

About This Song

“Stella By Starlight” was composed by Victor Young for the film The Uninvited. Ned Washington’s lyrics were added in 1946. The song was recorded in 1947 by Harry James and Frank Sinatra; it has been frequently recorded ever since. It found its way as a jazz standard in the early 1950s, with recordings by Stan Getz, Bud Powell, and Stan Kenton. It ranks as the 10th most important jazz title at jazzstandards.com.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Stella By Starlight” for his 1961 album My Heart Sings. The arrangement was written by Ralph Burns.

Stella By Starlight

Listen to Stella By Starlight on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1961.

“Stella By Starlight,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: My Foolish Heart

The song of the day for Monday, August 17, 2020, is “My Foolish Heart.”

About This Week

Every one of the songs that Bill Evans and Tony Bennett recorded is wonderful. For the rest of the week and in honor of the birthday of Evans, I’ll be featuring more songs that they recorded.

About This Song

“My Foolish Heart” was written in 1949 by Victor Young and Ned Washington for a widely-panned film of the same name, based on a J.D. Salinger short story. Time Magazine excoriated the score: “nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the soundtrack.”

About This Version

Bill Evans and Tony Bennett recorded “My Foolish Heart” in 1975 for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“My Foolish Heart,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Stella By Starlight

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 11,2020, is “Stella By Starlight.”

About This Song

“Stella By Starlight” was written in 1944 by Victor Young; the lyrics by Ned Washington were added in 1946. This song was introduced in the 1944 film The Uninvited. The song was recorded in 1947 by Harry James and Frank Sinatra; it has been frequently recorded ever since. It found its way as a jazz standard in the early 1950s, with recordings by Stan Getz, Bud Powell, and Stan Kenton. It ranks as the 10th most important jazz title at jazzstandards.com.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Stella By Starlight” in 1961 for the album My Heart Sings. Ralph Burns arranged and conducted this song, as well as the entire album.

“Stella By Starlight,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: On Green Dolphin Street

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 26, 2020, is “On Green Dolphin Street.”

About This Song

“On Green Dolphin Street” was written in 1947 by Bronislaw Kaper, with lyrics by Ned Washington, for the film Green Dolphin Street, starring Lana Turner. While the song was not widely hailed at the time, it soon became popular with jazz musicians and has become a jazz standard (ranking #25 on jazzstandards.com), especially after the Miles Davis’ 1958 recording.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “On Green Dolphin Street” in 1964 with the Ralph Sharon Trio for the album When Lights Are Low. The Ralph Sharon Trio consisted of Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums.

“On Green Dolphin Street,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: My Foolish Heart

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 3, 2020, is “My Foolish Heart.”

About This Song

“My Foolish Heart” was written in 1949 by Victor Young and Ned Washington for a widely-panned film of the same name, based on a J.D. Salinger short story. Time magazine excoriated the score: “nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the soundtrack.” The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song but lost to Frank Loesser’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “My Foolish Heart” in 1975 for their first album: The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.

“My Foolish Heart,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available from iTunes.

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites